Redtree Times

Headed Home— At Principle Gallery

Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.

–-Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)

I had intended to write something else this morning but it was one of those things that requires a lot more time than I have at the moment. Instead, I am sharing a triad with the words above from the opening of Their Eyes Were Watching God from Zora Neale Hurston along with the painting at the top, Headed Home. which seems to align well with the passage.

This painting appears to depict a ship coming into port, but will it land laden with the fulfillment of a wish or dream? Or will it arrive with its hold empty?

I can’t tell you the answer even though I painted it. I sense in it a return which might be the fulfillment of a wish for the Sailor and for those that wait for the Sailor. The dream of a homecoming. Yet, there is also a feeling of unfulfilled wishes in it. As though as the Sailors returns their eyes still scan the horizon longingly and a plan for the next voyage, the next attempt at fulfilling the dream is already growing. 

The Sailor’s Lament.

I am adding a piece of music from Moondog, an artist I mentioned awhile back, one whom I had promised to write more about. However, it is a long story with quite a few details and I just haven’t found time to write it yet. I will at some point. Promise. For now, here’s one of his more famous compositions, Bird’s Lament, as performed by the London Saxphonic.

This composition was written with jazz great Charlie “Bird” Parker in mind. Parker and a slew of jazz and classical giants were friends of Moondog when he was a street person in NYC in the 1950’s. We’ll get to that part of the story sometime. For now, here’s Bird’s Lament.